Foot-lever.



I. 0. ANDERSON.

FOOT LEVER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 29, 1910.

' Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

mama

F. 0. ANDERSON.

FOOT LEVER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1910.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EEANK C. ANDERSON, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR To THE AMERICAN vALvE & METER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, oIIIo, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FOOT-LEVER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Levers,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety devices for switches.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for automatically closing the elongated slot in which the foot treadle travels when the foot treadle is in its uppermost position, and thus protect the operating means of the switch safety mechanism from the weather.

My invention consists in providing means for automatically closing the elongated slot in the housing which contains the means for operating the interlocking mechanism.

My invention also consists in certain parts and combination of parts as will hereinafter be set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, which serve to illustrate th preferred construction and operation of my invention Figure 1 is a front elevation of a switch stand, the housing containing the interlocking mechanism and the target operating mechanism being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch stand shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the handle plungers employed on the switch stand equipped with my invention. Fig. a is perspective view of the connecting link to engage the interlocking mechanism with the handle plungers of the switch stand. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the switch stand, point rail, and my improved safety device. Fig. 6 is an enlarged end elevation illustrating my improved automatic shutters closing the slot in the front of the housing containing the operating means for the interlocking mechanism. Fig. 7 is a sec-.

tional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of my improved shutters. Fig. 9 is a plan view of my improved target mechanism applied to a switch stand of a different design. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of cover plate for the automatic shutters.

In the embodiment of my invention, as set forth, I show a switch stand 1 of a well known type having a suitably mounted operating shaft 2 which is connected at its Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1910.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

Serial NO. 558,493.

bottom to an operating rod 3, connected to head rod 3 which in turn is connected to point rails 4:. The switch stand 1 is provided with a top plate 5 upon which is mounted a fulcrum head 6. This fulcrum head is provided with an operating handle 7 pivoted thereto and is pinned and keyed to the operating shaft 2. The operating handle 7 engages slots 8 in the plate 5 of the switch stand in the usual manner. The switch stand shown is of the 90 type, the handle 7 being adapted to throw 90 from one slot 8 to the other slot 8.

Placed adjacent the switch stand 1 is a housing 9 mounted upon a plate 10 on the head blocks or ties 11. Mounted in said housing 9 I provide a foot trcadle 12 having an operating gear rack 13, in which is mounted a shaft 1-1, having an eye 15 at the end thereof, to which is attached a chain 16 having a pad lock 17 thereon. The foot treadle 12 operates in an elongated slot 12 which is placed in the end plate 9 bolted to the end of the housing 9. The operating gear rack 13 is adapted to engage a segmental gear 18 pivotally mounted inside the housing 9 and having a bell crank 19 thereon which engages a suitable lifting member 20 mounted on a shaft 21 in the housing 9. A link 22 is pivotally secured to the top of the shaft 21, outside the housing 9, and is provided with a bifurcated portion 23 at the end adapted to engage the lower end of the hub 2-l of the sliding handle plungers 25, thereby operating said sliding plungers when the shaft 21 is Operated.

The sliding handle plunger-s 25 are provided with spline ways or grooves 26 which are adapted to receive splines 27 on the inside of the switch stand 1, as best shown in Fig. 2. In the mechanism here shown the plunger 25 is adapted to engage recesses or openings 28 in the handle 7 when the switch is in its closed position and when the plungers are in their lowermost position. These handle plunger-s are provided for the purpose of engaging the handle in their uppermost position to prevent the. locking of the switch stand, and to engage the recesses in the handle of the switch stand in their lowermost position only when the switch is properly closed and thus permit the. lockin g of the switch stand. These handle plungers are made plural to engage the handle of the switch stand in either a right or left position and also to protect the switch from being locked when set for the siding which frequently occurs, causing a disastrous wreck. The slots 8 in the plate 5 are sutli cient means for holding the switch when set for the siding without the additional use of the pad lock. The handle is provided with a recess that will only engage one of the plungers when in the lowermost position, that is, when the switch is properly closed to engage a pad look.

A boss or eyelet 29 is preferably provided at the top of the handle 7 which is adapted to be engaged by the pad lock for the switch stand. Thus, if the operator attempts to lock the switch stand with the pad lock 17, the plungers must be in their lowermost position and enter the recess 23 at the lower end of the handle 7. In closing the switch if the switch is not properly closed the handle plungers 25 will be in their highest position and the eyelet 29 will remain in the walls of the fulcrum for the handle 7 sufficiently to prevent the operator from placing the handle 7 into posit-ion to engage the eyelet 29 with the pad lock, thus clearly indicating to the operator that the switch has not been properly thrown or closed. The segmental gear 18 is also adapted to engage a gear rack 30 which is mounted upon a plunger rod 31 in the plunger housing 32. The plunger 31 is adapted to engage an opening or openings in the end of the interlocking bar 33, and is spring pressed by means of the spring 3& bearing against a projection in the plunger housing 32 and against a collar 36 pinned to the plunger 31 near the other end of the housing 32.

\Vhen it is desired to open the switch, remove the pad lock 17, from the handle 7, raise the handle to horizontal position, and push the foot treadle 12 downwardly to its lowermost position, thereby operating the segmental gear 18, which in turn operates the gear rack 30, which, being fastened to the plunger 31 moves said plunger out of engagement with the interlocking bar 33 against the pressure of the spring 34-. At the same time the shaft 21 in the housing 9 is raised thereby raising the handle plungers 25 and lowering the shaft 1% to its lowermost position, as shown by dotted lines.

Placed at one end of the plate 10 is a stand 38 through which extends a. target shaft 39 upon which is mounted a target 40 having the customary flag signals thereon. A smaller housing &1 is placed below the plate 10 in alinement with the plunger housing 32 and has mounted therein and upon the end of the shaft 39 a target arm 12. The target a in 4-2 is connected to the interlocking plunger by means of a link a3 and coupling 37. Thus, when the. plunger 31 is operated, the target shaft 39 which is connected thereto is rotated simultaneously therewith, thereby insuring that the target is always in proper position relative to the switch, and preventing an operator from showing a clear signal when the switch is open.

When the foot treadle 12 is in its uppermost position, the lower part of the elongated slot is open to the weather. To protect the inside operating means'and swi ch interlocking mechanism from the weather, I provide shutters 4-1 which have beveled edges 4:5 at the top to allow the beveled edge 16 of the treadle 12 to force them apart. The shutters 4d are pivoted at 4:? in an inclosure 48 on the outside of the housing 9 grid are spring pressed by means of springs #19 The shutters 4-1 are provided with sockets or recesses 50 in the side thereof in which fit the springs 49. A plate 51 is mounted on the inclosure 18 to close the same and is provided with a hole to allow the socket 50 on the shutter A to pass there through. Thus, it is seen, that when the treadle 12 is moved downwardly it spreads the shutters 44: against the pressure of the springs 49, and immediately upon the return of the foot treadle 12' to its uppermost position the shutters are closed automatically by means of the springs #19. In this manner, the slot 12 is always closed to protect said mechanism against the weather except when the switch is being operated.

If it is desired to equip a switch stand of the 180 type with my improved target apparatus. it is necessary to place the target stand 38 in a position where it will not interfere with the movement of the handle 7 of the switch stand. To accomplish this I provide a bell crank lever 52 in the housing, 53, the same being mounted upon pivot 54 and having one arm connected to the connecting link 13 and the other arm to a. connecting rod 55 which is connected to the target arm 42 in the housing 11 directly beneath the target stand 38 all arranged as shown in Fig. 9. lVith this arrangement, the handle 7 is swung farther around than in the preceding figures, and therefore neces sitates moving the target stand 38 and target shaft 39 out of contact therewith. This arrangement is necessary unless I use another head block and a longer plate in order to throw the target shaft out of the way of the operating handle of the switch stand for stands that operate 180. In that case I can dispense with the housing %1 and the bell crank lever 52. The 130 switch stand requires a slight change in the plunger mechanism but it may be worked on the same principle as shown in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 1 I show a switch stand and safety mechanism in combination therewith, said switch stand having handle plungers engaging the safety mechanism in such a manner as to prevent the locking of the switch stand unless the switch is properly closed. F or stands now in service, that have no provision to engage handle plungers, the shaft 14 may be provided with an eye to engage a flexible connection attached to the pad lock, thus preventing the use of the pad look when the switch is in open position and the shaft 14 of the foot treadle 12 is in its lowermost position, but when the switch is properly closed the shaft 14 will travel to its uppermost position and permit the use of the pad lock for locking the switch stand.

It will be seen that I provide means adapted to engage handle plungers for a specially designed switch stand to control the locking of said switch stand, and means adapted to engage a flexible connection for controlling the use of a padlock for locking switch stands of the ordinary type not specially designed for handle plungers except when the switch is properly closed. Said means is adapted to engage target mechanism whereby it is impossible for the operator to operate the target independently of the switch stand and thereby show a clear signal on the target when the point rail of the switch is not properly closed. In other words, the present construction of switch stand permits the operator to throw the switch and show a clear signal even if there should be an obstruction between the point rail and stock rail or the switch should be disconnected. With my improvements operating the target with the safety mechanism or interlocking mechanism I permit the operator to throw the switch but prevent him from showing a clear signal unless the switch is properly closed for the safety mechanism and target mechanism act in unison and simultaneously. Therefore, the switch must be properly closed in order to indicate a clear signal and the principal object of having the target to act simultaneously and in unison with the interlocking mechanism, as provided by my invention, is to enable any trainman on receiving a nal from the operator that he has properly closed the switch to detect from the position of the signal whether or not the signal givenby the operator is correct, while with the present construction of switch stands and targets the operator can operate the switch stand and show a clear signal although the point rail is not in proper closed position and the trainman will be unable to detect by the target whether the switch is properly closed and locked.

Many modifications of my invention may be made without departing from its spirit and scope, and I do not wish to be confined to the exact details shown.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a treadle, a housing having a vertical slot therein, pivotally mounted shutters on said housing adapted to permit said treadle to traverse said slot, and means adapted to antomatically close said shutters over said slot when the treadle is moved to its uppermost position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device of the character described, a housing having a vertical slot. therein, a foot treadle adapted to traverse said vertical slot, and a pair of shutters adapted to be automatically moved toward each other to normally close said slot and to be operated by the movement of the foot treadle in said slot, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

3. In a device of the character described, a housing having an elongated slot, a treadle mounted to traverse said slot, pivotally mounted shutters and springs adapted to normally hold said shutters in position to close the lower end of said slot and to yield to permit the passage of the treadle therebetween, substantially as set forth.

4. In a device of the character described, a housing having an elongated slot in its end and an inclosure on each side, a foot treadle for said slot, automatic shutters each con'iprising an elongated vertically disposed member formed integralwith an elongated horizontally disposed member, said members being disposed substantially at right angles to each other, said horizontal member having a pivot bearing, and a socket or recess, a pivot on which said horizontal member is pivotally mounted in said inclo sure, a spring adapted to engage each socket to hold said shutters in closed position over said slot and permit the shutters to move upon said pivot and to allow said treadle to move in said slot between said shutters and automatically close said. shutters when said treadle is in its highest position, substantially as set forth.

5. In a device of the character described, a housing having an elongated vertical slot therein, a foot treadle adapted to more in said slot and having its lower end beveled, a pair of pivotally mounted and spring pressed shutters adapted to normally close said slot and having beveled upper edges adapted to permit the ready passage of said beveled foot treadle between said shutters, substantially as set forth.

FRANK C. ANDERSON.

"Witnesses JAMES N. RAMSEY, FLonnNon HAMMEL.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington. D. C." 

